In early childhood, every person goes through the process of language acquisition and further development of speaking and listening skills. Understanding and producing words and later coherent sentences is essential for successful communication. Teaching a child how to use language effectively lies mostly on the parents. Nevertheless, it is possible to make such an important task pleasant and productive. This material will introduce 20 enjoyable language activities parents can use to learn the language with children from 3 to 5 years old.

Storytelling

Children are quite fond of stories. Parents can find age-appropriate books on the topics their kid is interested in and read them together. Feel free to discuss what is happening in the book with the child, as it will help them stay focused and engaged in reading.

Picture books

Parents can use many colorful books related to different topics (e.g., animals, fruit and vegetables, places in a city, etc.) to develop their child’s language skills. The advantage of such books is that they allow kids to learn groups of words of the same situational context.

Singing

Listening to music and singing can be an effective method of learning the language. New words or expressions are generally easier to remember when they are accompanied by music. Recreating the song’s lyrics by dancing will also activate muscle memory, making learning even more productive.

Nursery Rhymes and Fingerplays

Repetition and memorization of nursery rhymes and fingerplays can significantly expand a child’s vocabulary and brighten their mood. Such songs can be easily found online and played in the car during a trip.

Riddles

Riddles allow kids to use their imagination to picture metaphorical objects and situations. Children learn new words by analyzing original descriptions and having fun at the same time.

Tongue twisters

Tongue twisters are fun little challenges that can not only expand a child’s vocabulary but also polish the correct pronunciation of words. Depending on the age, the number of target sounds and the length of the tongue twisters can increase.

Word chain

It would be easier for a child to learn new words based on the ones that they have already grasped. Parents can prepare paper or cardboard pieces with nouns, adjectives, and verbs written on them. The child will combine unfamiliar adjectives, and verbs with familiar nouns, creating and memorizing collocations.

Matching pairs card game

There are plenty of age-appropriate card games that involve matching the picture with the name of the object illustrated. Such games help children associate words with certain concepts, which develops the linguistics skills of preschoolers.

Taboo game

In this card game a child will have to explain a word but the catch is that they are not allowed to use the words listed on a card. For example, a kid has to describe a cake without using the words candles and party. The cards are easy to find online.

Construction toys

Make sure to use age-appropriate toys to get the preschooler more comfortable with playing. With the help of building blocks, parents can talk about colors, shapes, and numbers of the constructions and introduce verbs such as “build”, “fall down”, “construct” etc.

Painting

Children usually enjoy painting and this activity is perfect for learning more about colors. Kids can try mixing them to figure out how to create various shades and learn their names with the help of an adult. Parents can show their kids fingerprinting or create potato stamps. Even the cleaning process can be enjoyable if you sing a fun clean-up song.

Fun with Paper Plates

The potential of paper plates for vocabulary acquisition is great as many sizes and colors are available. Children can use them to create masks, characters, or other items necessary for their game. Glue, glitter, markers, stickers, and pencils will be helpful during the creative process.

Sand Play and Sensory Trays

These types of games are perfect for developing sensory vocabulary. A tray can be filled with items of different shapes, colors, and textures to encourage the child to explore those properties and talk about them. Moreover, kids enjoy playing in sandpits and learning the names of the toys they use for digging and building.

Touchy-Feely Bags

Fill a bag with a small item you can find outside or at home (e.g., a cone, a teaspoon, a pen, etc.) and ask the child to feel the item and figure out what it is. Have the kid describe the bag’s contents to guess the item. Such a game naturally encourages children to connect their sensory experience with words and verbalize it.

Puppet shows

By playing with puppets, it is possible to encourage the gradual yet persistent development of language skills. With parents’ help, children will learn to recreate everyday situations or produce fantasy scenarios using puppet toys. Moreover, these toys are portable and can be played with almost everywhere.

Role-playing

For this activity, it would be helpful to provide children with interesting items of clothing that allow more room for creativity. Kids can replay the events that have already happened or imagine a different, more exciting scenario without anything restricting them. Therefore, children can learn the vocabulary needed in a grocery store and on a pirate ship, or during space exploration.

The Telephone Game

A pair of toy telephones can open a possibility to familiarise children with the course of basic social interactions. Encourage the child to pick up the phone and demonstrate what phrases they should use to follow the phone etiquette. The activity can be even more engaging if you use hand-made paper cup telephones.

Baking

Even though the activity might be a little messy, the kitchen provides various opportunities for language exploration. It allows the child to learn the names of ingredients and utensils and count, weigh, and measure everything according to the recipe. Baking cookies is probably the best option for this activity.

Gardening

Spending time outdoors is quite rewarding but the time spent outside can be even more productive. Teach the child about plants and flowers that grow in the garden. And if the garden is unavailable, try growing herbs in a pot in the kitchen. This will allow the kid to learn nature-related vocabulary.

Talk throughout the day.

Engage your child in daily conversation whenever the opportunity presents itself. Talk about colors, smells, shapes, or tastes that surround you. Make sure that the kid comprehends everything well and has a chance to respond. The more conversations you have, the broader the child’s vocabulary is.

Lastly, as has been already mentioned, the responsibility for a child’s development lies with the parents. That is why it is important to follow several tips while spending time with a kid:

Listen carefully to what the child says, praising them for vocabulary or pronunciation. Help the kid to learn new words by staying patient and repeating them.

Be a good role model and do not make fun of the child’s mistakes.